Free templates, patterns, and tutorials to help you learn to sew your own cloth diapers, covers, and accessories.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Pocket Fitted Diaper

This is one that I made a while ago for my daughter Sara. It is bamboo velour (defective seconds fabric) inner, recycled towel soaker layers, and a remnant piece of cotton woven fabric for the outer.

I did the one for the tutorial with velcro because it was done by request. I dislike velcro/aplix/touchtape diapers for myself.

It uses some recycled pajama fabric for the outer, amazon contour and terry, and Alova suedecloth for a "stay-dry" inner material.

There are a few ways you can do the body layering.

First cut your outer fabric to your diaper pattern. Then add one layer of your soaker layer material and sew on your front "loops" velcro strip at this point.

You can use flannel receiving blankets, old towels, flats, or any absorbant new material for the soaker layers as well.
When I use terry, I like to use the pieces remaining from cutting out the diaper pattern shape to make a middle thicker wet-zone soaker. Trim it down to a small enough size to fit inside where your elastic will be, and sew in place onto your absorbant middle layer. You can also save these good-sized scraps for future pocket inserts or lay-in/snap-in soakers.
Cut your inner material (black suedecloth in this case).
Everything is layered correctly, cut, and pinned together.
Serge around the outside leaving the front and most of the back open (if you will be doing a turned and top-stitched diaper, do your layers such that your outer fabric's print and your inner fabric's baby-touching side are facing each other. See the T-shirt Diaper tutorial for a visual on this method).
Sew your leg elastic casing channels.
Thread your elastic through (I used 3/8") using a safety pin. Tack in place, stretch to desired tension, tack the other end, and trim.
Fold over and sew the inner layer about 1/2" to finish your pocket opening edge.
Sew your back elastic casing channels through the other layers.
Thread, tack, stretch, tack, and trim your elastic.
Sew/serge up the back of the diaper leaving the pocket opening. Serge/sew up the front of the diaper, and do an extra seam across at about 1/4" in to reinforce the front of the "pocket."
Reinforce the outside edges of the pocket opening and sew on your wing velcro "hooks" and your "loops" laundry tabs.
Finished diaper with pocket opening showing and tabs folded in against laundry tabs.
Sara's snapping version after several washes and wearings...
One reason I prefer snaps is the simplicity of the fold-over rise.